Alifu Alifu (North Ari) Atoll · Kuramathi
Kuramathi Island Resort photographer.
One shoot on the island, every frame made there. Golden hour, unhurried, gallery in 48 hours.
- Atoll
- Alifu Alifu (North Ari) Atoll
- Island
- Kuramathi
- Transfer
- speedboat · 65 min
- Villas
- 395
- Brand
- Universal Resorts
- Travel fee
- US$680 · local island route
- Sessions from
- US$320
Kuramathi Island Resort, in Alifu Alifu (North Ari) Atoll, is a large island of 395 rooms, with several beaches facing different directions — there is always one with the light. Honeymoon, wedding, proposal or family — a session here is an hour in the soft light, unhurried, with the photographs in your hands in forty-eight hours.
I have published one shoot from Kuramathi Island Resort below, the latest in February 2020. They are the best guide to what your own session would look like: the same beaches, the same jetty, the same last half hour of light.
The travel fee to Kuramathi Island Resort is US$680 by local island route, always quoted on its own line, so the package price is the package price.
Shoots at Kuramathi Island Resort.
The light at Kuramathi Island Resort.
At Kuramathi Island Resort we start about an hour and a quarter before sunset on the lagoon side, where the water is stillest, move through the shallows as the light turns gold, and finish on the jetty at blue hour. Central atoll islands have the classic Maldivian sunset — long, gold, and over the water. Sunrise sessions are quieter still, and the water is at its clearest.
About the island
- Tropical island spanning nearly two kilometres, surrounded by powdery white sands, turquoise waters, and lush greenery
- Breathtaking sandbank that "seems to stretch endlessly towards the horizon"
- Variety of accommodations from beachfront retreats to overwater villas with private pools
- Award-winning Eco-Centre central to sustainability efforts
- Hydroponic garden growing herbs and lettuces
- Marine conservation led by a resident marine biologist
- Medical Centre with the largest hyperbaric (decompression) chamber in the Maldives
- Two European doctors employed year round (a Diving Medical Officer and a General Practitioner)
Sessions I photograph at Kuramathi Island Resort
Questions about Kuramathi Island Resort.
How much does a photographer cost at Kuramathi Island Resort?
Portrait sessions start at US$320 (Tropical Memories, 20–40 minutes) and run to US$4,250 for a full day with drone and a sunset cruise. The travel fee to Kuramathi Island Resort is US$680, which covers the local island route transfer from Malé. Weddings are quoted on the ceremony.
Can I book an outside photographer at Kuramathi Island Resort?
Most Maldivian resorts welcome a photographer booked directly by a guest; a few have an exclusive in-house studio. I confirm Kuramathi Island Resort's current policy with the resort before you pay anything — usually within six hours of your enquiry — and if the island is exclusive I will say so plainly.
What is the best time of day for photographs at Kuramathi Island Resort?
The last seventy-five minutes before sunset, then the blue hour. Sunrise is the alternative if you want the beach to yourselves and the flattest water. Midday is for the drone, not for portraits.
How do you get to Kuramathi Island Resort?
Kuramathi Island Resort is a 65-minute speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé. I book the same transfer through the resort and arrive on the day of the session.
When will we receive the photographs?
A sneak peek within 24 hours and the full edited gallery within 48 — often before you leave Kuramathi Island Resort. Every image is delivered in full resolution with a personal licence to print and share.
Which season is best at Kuramathi Island Resort?
Alifu Alifu Atoll has two monsoons: Iruvai (late November to early April) is the dry season with clear skies and still lagoons; Hulhangu (April to November) brings dramatic clouds, short showers and the best sunsets. The shoots on this page were made in Hiyaviha.
Check your date at Kuramathi Island Resort